Scanning probe microscopes (SPM) are a class of microscopes that can produce images of surfaces (e.g. topography) with better than 100 nanometer spatial resolution. In some cases individual atoms on a surface can be resolved. Over the past several years scanning probes have been extended to new modes of operations such as magnetic resonance force microscopy, scanning capacitance microscopy and many others. These new modes offer scientists and engineers deeper understanding of surface physical, chemical and biological phenomena.
Scanning probe microscopy is in a period of continual technological development with significant effort devoted to inventing and perfecting new measurement tools and techniques.